Dinner at Six Thirty

Did someone say.....MATTITO'S?

2013-04-19T13:47:00.001-07:00

Do you wanna spice up your life with Tex-Mex favorites?

Here’s what you need to know about the best Tex-Mex restaurant in Dallas and Frisco – MATTITO’S!!!

-best known Mexican restaurants Dallas and Frisco tx restaurants.

-It has been around for 2 generations and offers family secret recipes for over 50 years!

-Vast menu comprising of crowd favorites - Fajitas, Enchiladas, Tacos, Quesadillas, Burritos and even breakfast favorite, Chilaquiles (which can served anytime of the day). When I say a vast menu, I mean vaaaasssssttttt!!! From breakfast choices, to soups, appetizers, salads, main dishes, lunch specials, regular specials, group platters, and fabulous desserts!

-Kids are spoiled with their own appetizing menu (main course which comes with 2 side dishes, drinks, and ice cream! Yeah!)

-You are greeted to a unique and festive ambiance by a heartwarming family.

-Banquet halls in Dallas Tx are available for your party pleasures. Share with your friends and families the legendary experience of dining at Mattito’s!

-Amazing catering service from its award-winning menu (on place and delivery)

-Voted by Critics as Top Ten Tequila Bars in the United States, Dallas’ Best Sunday Brunch, Dallas’ Best Tex-Mex, and several People’s Choice Awards. It has been recognized for its high standard in food and service.

-Mattito’s Famous Rumba Rita has been voted Best Cocktail.

-Mattito’s is known for throwing the biggest and famous Cinco de Mayo fiesta yearly. Guests party and enjoy, free of charge, the mariachis, DJ music, tequila tastings, games and prizes, drinks specials and cuisines. It was noted that more than 4,500 people attended last year!

-A Sunday Brunch is heartily prepared from your Mattito’s family to please you. The buffet has a spread of Tex-Mex favorites, an Omelet and Waffle Station, Assorted Cheeses, and many desserts. Sundays will never best the same! Make sure to call ahead to reserve you spot.

-Mattito’s Gift Cards are available for purchase. Never again will you have to worry what to give to friends and family.

Many have already had their memorable experiences at the award-winning Mattito’s. When will yours be?

Prune Cake - The day SO cracked her first egg!

2013-04-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

SO and I are home alone today. MR is attending his second and last government formation. It's a beautiful day again today and I thought SO and I could go to the town beside ours to play in their playground. But not before we try our hand at baking a Prune Cake. These were made from leftover prunes from when I made the Turkey Legs with Prunes dish a while ago (click here for the post). I had a handful of prunes left and since I hate throwing away food, I thought I'd save it for a day like this.

Unfortunately, I'm not satisfied with the result of today's cake. It was too dry for my taste and slightly burned before the cooking time ended. I will not post its recipe right now, but I couldn't help posting the photos because I am excited to say that this the first time SO cracked eggs. She's been helping me more and more in cooking and baking lately and I thought she did a really good job with these eggs!

Mama is so proud of you, SO!!! :)

We waited for the cake to be cooked through and then off we went to the children's playground. I dressed SO for the first time in a long time in short sleeves and short pants. What a joy!!!

Potato and Endive Gratin

2013-04-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been having a harder time to find / come up with new recipes for dinner. Lunch is no problem as I have a long list of meat dishes to make. But dinner is another story as I don't usually prepare meat so I always run out of ideas. I personally love preparing salads, but lately I've had enough of salad. That's what I initially thought I would make with the endives I had in the refrigerator, but I wondered what would happen if I prepared them hot. Like in a Potato and Endive Gratin.

In a frying pan, I heated a tablespoon of oil and fried some bacon bits and diced shallots.

When the bacon bits start to brown, add 2 sliced medium-sized endives. Saute until they are cooked.

I added 200 ml / 20 cl light cream. Season with salt and black pepper. I also added a dash of grated nutmeg. Heat for 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.

I had previously boiled a deep pan-full of potatoes, peeled, and sliced them. I transferred the sliced potatoes on top of the endives.

Stir everything together so that the potatoes are covered with cream too.

Top with lots and lots of grated cheese. Add salt, black pepper, and several butter cubes all over.

Bake in a preheated 180 degrees Celsius oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Dinner is served: Potato and Endive Gratin

Beef Slices with Pesto

2013-04-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing I want to buy for my kitchen is a Pierrade. I love this cooking concept, which is cooking your food tabletop on a heated stone. Like the Fondue or Raclette, I find that it creates a fun and entertaining ambiance at the dining table whether you are having a family meal or having guests over. Click here and here for previous posts where I have enjoyed a Pierrade. But unlike the Fondue and Raclette, I still have yet to purchase my own Pierrade machine. But tonight, I really felt like having beef slices, so I thought I'd experiment and prepare it Pierrade-style stove-top. It turned out good, not as good as the original (taste and ambiance-wise), but good.

The beautiful piece of beef fillet. All meat, no fat.

I sliced the beef fillet thinly with a really good knife.

So here's what I meant when I said Pierrade-style stove-top. In a thin pan, I added a tablespoon of oil and butter and quickly fried the beef slices. Quickly means 5 seconds on each side, by the way.

Transfer the cooked beef in a serving plate. Season with salt and black pepper.

I had some store-bought pesto which I thought would go great with the meat.

Dinner is served: Beef Slices with Pesto and Buttered Spaghetti

Au Bon Chalet in Solgne, France

2013-04-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

We spent the afternoon with Dad at the rehabilitation center again. Today was a hot, good day and one that we've been waiting for a loooonnnngggg time! Longer days and sunshine are much appreciated! Dad's hospital room was warm and stuffy when we arrived, so we took the opportunity to open all his windows and walk around the park. There were times when the sun was really hitting hard that we had to hide under the tree shades. SO ran around like a mad kid, picking up any wild flowers she saw to make a nice bouquet for her papy. We left the place close to dinner time and I knew we were going to eat out. When we were driving through Delme, France, MR mentioned the little chalet / restaurant in Solgne, France. It's so pretty that we always stare at it whenever we drive by. I remembered there were outdoor tables and I thought, perfect! Our first outdoor terrace meal - yay! :)

Assiette de Kebab / Kebab Plate (8,50 Euros) - cooked bulgur, kebab meat (roasted turkey and veal), red cabbage, tomato, white onion, carrots, lettuce, French fries, and a white yogurt sauce. And a pita bread.

I would have asked to add some spiciness, but SO and I were sharing this.

This is how I enjoy my Assiette. I get a piece of pita bread, cram as much as possible in, and take a huuuuugggeee mouthful!

Kebab Sandwich (5.50 Euros) - made with the same ingredients as in the Assiette de Kebab except for the bulgur and the smaller portions.

It also came French fries which was drizzled with more white yogurt sauce.

Looks like someone is really enjoying his huge sandwich!!!

For contact details, please click here.

Beef Balls and Bean Sprouts

2013-04-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

Today's dish is all about finishing yesterday's ingredients for the Pho Vo Vien. The only thing we managed to finish were the noodles but we had heaps of beef balls, coriander, and bean sprouts leftovers. I hate throwing away perfectly good food, so I thought I'd throw them all together in a pan instead and call it lunch today.

The beef balls could be prepared two ways - fried and boiled. I boiled them yesterday, I'm frying them today. In a slightly oiled frying pan, that is, until they turned golden brown.

Remove the beef balls from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the fresh bean sprouts.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce.

Add half a cup of water, a pinch of sugar, and black pepper. Lower the heat and let it simmer.

When the bean sprouts start to cook, put back the beef balls in the pan. Add the coriander and fried garlic bits.

Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Drizzle with a teaspoon of sesame oil on top. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot and enjoy!

Lunch is served: Beef Balls and Bean Sprouts and White Rice

Pho Vo Vien / Vietnamese Beef Ball Noodle Soup

2013-04-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

After the very successful crab paste testing yesterday, I was excited to try the rest of my food buys. When I saw these beef balls, I knew right away that I wanted to make a soup. I am a big big fan of soups like this. Mostly because it brings back wonderful memories of my childhood, but also because I love Asian cuisine. I've actually made similar soups, even making my own meatballs, but these store-bought ones were pretty good! I reckon I did pretty good in my last shopping spree!

In a deep pan, heat a liter of beef broth. Season with a tablespoon of soy sauce. Add more, if desired.

Here are the store-bought Beef Balls. These can be boiled or fried. This is a keeper!

Add the beef balls in the broth and boil for 3-5 minutes.

In the meantime, add the rice noodles in hot water until they turn soft.

Drain, add a tablespoon of oil, and mix. Set aside.

Prepare the garnishes : fresh bean sprouts, fried garlic bits, fresh coriander, fish sauce, and chili paste.

Here's my delicious soup bowl with a little bit of everything! :)

Dinner is served: Pho Vo Vien / Beef Balls Noodle Soup

Crab Paste Rice and Egg Omelette

2013-04-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Preparing MR's lunch made me think back to the time I was still going to school. Throwback Thursday, I guess. Growing up, I can't remember ever bringing a lunchbox to school. I know I did, I must have, but for the love of me, I don't know what kind of food I used to bring. I do however remember what a close friend used to bring. She was Korean and a really good friend of mine in elementary. She must have caught me staring at her lunchbox one day because that day she asked me if I'd like a taste. It looked exactly like the photo above but I had no idea what it was. It turned out to be White Rice mixed with a can of Tuna Afritada and topped with an Egg Omelette. A spoonful and I was hooked to that taste. I've made it several times myself since and it just gets better and better! Unfortunately, I can't find cans of Tuna Afritada here so I wondered if it would work with the crab paste I just bought. And you know what? It's even better!!!

I prepared a bowl of white rice.

Crab Paste with Bean Oil. It's the best thing ever!!! This resembles a lot the Filipino Taba ng Talangka. I'm told to limit consumption as it is cholesterol-laden.

Add 2 tablespoons of the Crab Paste.

Mix well until the rice is evenly-coated.

Meanwhile, prepare the Egg Omelette.

This was MR's lunch so I transferred the rice and eggs in a microwaveable container.

And since it looked and smelled sooooo good, I'd thought I'd prepare the same thing for SO's and my lunch.

Lunch is served: Crab Paste Rice and Egg Omelette

Ly Kim Thanh in Metz, France, the Second Time

2013-04-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

It felt weird to go back home empty-handed. Since the first Asian store we visited didn't really have anything we wanted to buy, we made our way to the Asian store we really love - Ly Kim Thanh! This time I bought (and paid) twice as much as the last time. After all, I did mention that I would slowly buy and try every item in the store! :)

The only Filipino product in the store : Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix Original. Just one, but better than nothing!

BILL

Gingembre / Fresh Ginger - 0,38 Euros / 110 grams
Soja Frais 500 grams / Fresh Bean Sprouts 500 grams - 1,00 Euros
Vermicelli de Riz / Rice Vermicelli - 1,15 Euros
Mochi Cacahuete / Peanut Mochi - 2 x 2,69 = 5,38 Euros
Farine de Tapioca / Tapioca Flour - 0,90 Euros
Farine de Riz Gluant / Glutinous Rice Flour - 1,10 Euros
Coriandre / Coriander - 0,38 Euros
Assaisonement Soup Tamarind / Sinigang Mix - 0,65 Euros
Bo Vo Vien 500 grams / Vietnamese Beef Meatballs 500 grams - 4,75 Euros
Saucisses Citronelle / Lemongrass Sausage - 5,99 Euros
Mais / Sweet Corn - 2,95 Euros
Chips de Crevettes / Shrimp Chips - 2 x 0,85 = 1,70 Euros
Pate de Crabe Huile / Crab Paste in Oil - 3,09 Euros
Ail Frits / Fried Garlic Bits - 1,59 Euros
Jus Noix Coco Foco / Coconut Juice - 0,80 Euros
Confiserie Cacahuete / Peanut Candy - 0,70 Euros
Cenelle Sucree / Haw Flakes - 0,79 Euros

TOTAL: 33,30 Euros

Thumbs up for: fresh bean sprouts, peanut mochi, coriander, sinigang mix, Vietnamese beef meatballs, lemongrass sausage, crab paste in oil, and fried garlic bits!!!

Thumbs down: mais and coconut juice!!!

For contact details, please click here.

Restaurant Le Mandarin in Metz, France

2013-04-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

MR mentioned yesterday that he passed by an Asian store on his lunch break. He didn't get to see what was inside, but wondered what they had for sale (a.k.a. if there were any Filipino products). I don't know what it was, but I woke up this morning itching to go to that Asian store. It is Wednesday today which also means family day in our household and a perfect opportunity to go and enjoy the city. We went to the store, which didn't really impress me. I still prefer the one we just went to (click here). We took a walk around the block and we were getting hungry. MR was in the area yesterday and he swore that if we turned on a certain street, we would arrive at a small restaurant he eyed the day before. We walked and walked and never found it! We walked some more until our legs ached and realized we were almost back to point A. And that's when I saw Restaurant Le Mandarin, which I already knew of because it's right in front of the bus station. But it looked awfully calm and quiet and worried that it was close. Thankfully as I pushed the front door, it opened for us.

I honestly did not expect this interior. It gave me more a Vietnamese vibe than a Chinese one. Two tables were already occupied when we got in and another man came in when we were ordering.

There was a fish aquarium in the middle of the dining room and SO loved watching the fish swimming around.

Sesame Oil, Black Vinegar, Chili Paste, and Salt.

French restaurants are required to offer free water when asked by the customers. When in France, don't hesitate to ask for free water with your meal.

After scanning through the the menu, MR and I decided to each get a menu at 10,50 Euros. This included a starter dish, a main dish, and a dessert. We had several choices to choose from and here's what we got:

Starter Dishes:

Wanton Noodle Soup (which SO enjoyed a lot after we set aside the raw white onion rings). This was alright.

Vietnamese Fried Spring Roll.

Each roll was enjoyed with a lettuce leaf, Vietnamese Basil, and dip of Nuoc Mam.

Main Dishes:

Fried Rice. This was not good. The rice was very mushy (eeeekk!) . I wonder if the beef tips on top of the rice were leftovers from another dish. It was unfortunately bland!

MR was excited for his Chopsuey, but it turned out nothing like he expected it to be. This wasn't the Chinese Chopsuey we were used to; this had fresh bean sprouts, celery, and beef.

I was happy with my Squid Curry, although it wasn't as spicy as I liked, but still pretty flavorful. My only complaint is that they might want to rename this dish as Bamboo Shoots Curry as there was obviously more bamboo shoots than squid!

Desserts:

MR chose to have the Fried Battered Banana, which was sprinkled with white sugar.

And I got a scoop each of Chocolate and Pistachio Ice Cream. We added it to the banana and shared our own version of a Banana Split.

TOTAL BILL
2 Menus at 10, 50 Euros - 21,00 Euros

For contact details, please click here.

Alphabet Pasta and Vegetable Soup

2013-04-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

If you read my previous post, then you know that I made Baked Baby Back Ribs (click here) for dinner. The first step I do when preparing Baby Back Ribs is boil the ribs in water. After an hour of simmering, the water mixes with the flavors of the beef which results to a wonderful beef broth. It's so good that I find it's a such a shame to just throw it away. So I add vegetables and pasta and this becomes a wonderful accompaniment to our ribs - Alphabet Pasta and Vegetable Soup.

When you remove the ribs from the broth, you can start working with the soup. I add some smashed ginger, 2 peeled, sliced carrots, 1 diced onion, and 1/4 roughly chopped cabbage. Let it simmer until the carrots cook through.

You can add any kind of pasta you like, although I prefer the small kind (vermicelli, coquillettes). I found Alphabet Pasta and thought it'd be perfect for this. SO gets to learn while enjoying her food! Season with salt and black pepper, if needed.

Dinner is served: Alphabet Pasta and Vegetable Soup

Baked Baby Back Ribs / Travers de Porc

2013-04-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, MR received a letter to attend 2 government-prepared "formation". His attendance is compulsory for his visa. So off he went this morning and took the bus to the city on his own for the first time. He did good. The first formation taught him the do's and don'ts of living in France. The second formation is in 2 weeks and is pretty much the same thing. MR met for the first time a fellow Filipino in the city. We obviously wished there were more to hang out with! MR's absence was greatly missed again today at home and I wanted to do something nice for him! When I think Baby Back Ribs, I think of my husband and since I had some on-hand, I thought I'd surprise him for dinner. This was also a great idea for myself as it reconnected me to my love for Baby Back Ribs after the disaster I had in Flunch (click here).

In a deep pan, I added the baby back ribs, covered it with water, and seasoned with salt and black pepper.

I let it simmer until the meat became fork-tender. Remove from the broth and transfer to a baking dish.

Mama Sita's Filipino Barbecue Marinade. I like its sweet, sour, salty, and spicy mix.

Add the barbecue marinade and rub all over the meat.

Bake in a 180 degrees Celsius preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve hot and enjoy!

Dinner is served: Baked Baby Back Ribs and White Rice

Oven-Roasted Leg of Lamb / Gigot D'Agneau

2013-04-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

After eating fish straight for the past days, I thought it was time we ate meat. MR is a huge lamb fan (which I introduced him to), so at the grocery store I picked up a pack of lamb meat. Because it was past Easter, the packs of lamb at the store were discounted so it was a great deal. It is tradition for a lot of French household to prepare lamb for Easter and I was actually quite looking forward to it. But we were invited at DO's house for Easter this year and since they don't like lamb meat, I knew we weren't going to have some. If we wanted to eat some lamb, I'd have to make it myself.

The packs of lamb had 2 leg of lamb, weighing about 1 lb. each. Place in a baking dish. With a knife, I sliced several slits and pushed a whole garlic in each slit. Add a tablespoon of olive oil on each leg of lamb. Season with salt, black pepper, and dried thyme. Rub the oil and seasoning all over.

Bake in a 180 degrees Celsius preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.

Lunch is served : Oven-Roasted Leg of Lamb and Baked Potato Balls

Salmon Stuffed with Scallops / Saumon Farci au St. Jacques

2013-04-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

I've always loved the Match Supermarches in France. When I lived for a year at my sister's house, this was the place where we always used to do our grocery shopping. Admittedly, there wasn't much else, but the place was clean, had excellent products, and the people were nice. But when I moved out and settled where I am now (which is closer to the big city), more options were opened to me. I did the round, comparing and contrasting, and made a list of what things I could get where. But those stores were always close to the big city of Metz and in a recent road trip, I found out that we are also close to another city, Pont-a-Mousson, which I never gave much thought seeing as it is in another "departement". I never thought we were that close though and that there are a handful of stores and commercial spaces. It's a big city as well. And in that big city, there is a beautiful Match Supermarche. On a sunny afternoon, while SO was in school, MR and I went on a little road trip. We stopped by the supermarket and from the moment I first stepped in, I knew I would love it here. It was huge, the cleanest I'd ever seen, not too big, but not too small, not a lot of people (I hate grocery shopping in a crowded space!), and everything was well-organized. Celeriac and carrots could be bought finely sliced already (I was impressed). And the fish and seafood section was beautiful. That is where I spotted today's lunch : Salmon Stuffed with Scallops / Saumon Farci au St. Jacques for only 6,95 Euros!

Salmon Stuffed with Scallops / Saumon Farci au Saint Jacques - 6,95 Euros
-scallops stuffing wrapped by fresh salmon fillet, flavored by a fresh bay leaf.

I did exactly as what I was told to do. In a preheated 180 degrees Celsius oven, I baked the salmon for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve hot and enjoy!

So good! The scallops were prepared in a mousse, but there were bits and pieces of the scallops to bite into. I was very impressed. I didn't even need to prepare a separate sauce to enjoy this.

Lunch is served: Salmon Stuffed with Scallops with Garlic Green Greens

Hit That Replay Button: When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars

2013-04-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Taken from : http://youtu.be/3b9RpDkTG_Q

The worst way to lose somebody is when you had them, didn't pay attention to them, and let them get away. In love you don't realize what you have till it's gone.

LYRICS

Same bed, but it feels just a little bit bigger now

Our song on the radio, but it don't sound the same

When our friends talk about you all it does is just tear me down

Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name

And it all just sounds like uh, uh, uh

Hmmm too young, too dumb to realize

That I should have bought you flowers and held your hand

Should have gave you all my hours when I had the chance

Take you to every party cause all you wanted to do was dance

Now my baby is dancing, but she's dancing with another man

My pride, my ego, my needs and my selfish ways

Caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life

Now I never, never get to clean up the mess I made

And it haunts me every time I close my eyes

It all just sounds like uh, uh, uh

Hmmmm, too young, too dumb to realize

That I should have bought you flowers and held your hand

Should have gave all my hours when I had the chance

Take you to every party cause all you wanted to do was dance

Now my baby is dancing, but she's dancing with another man

Although it hurts I'll be the first to say that I was wrong

Oh, I know I'm probably much too late

To try and apologize for my mistakes

But I just want you to know

I hope he buys you flowers, I hope he holds your hand

Give you all his hours when he has the chance

Take you to every party cause I remember how much you loved to dance

Do all the things I should have done when I was your man

Husband's Cooking : Fried Daurade / Sea Bream

2013-04-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

The first dish MR ever prepared for me was Piniritong Isda ug Utan Bisaya / Fried Fish and Visayan Vegetable Soup. It was one of those rare times when he had his house all to himself and he invited me to come over to eat lunch in between my classes. He specifically cooked those 2 dishes because I had mentioned how much I missed by mom's home cooked meals. These 2 were the food she almost always used to prepare for us as well as Inun-unan na Isda / Fish in a Sour Broth. He's always been such a thoughtful guy! So anyways, 5 minutes after my classes finished, I walked in MR's front door and he ushered me excitedly to the dining table. He told me to sit down and be comfortable, which I did while waiting. And then he came over with the dishes. I obviously was very touched by the gesture and the food smelled and looked amazing! Everything was perfect .... up until we dug in the fish and saw that it was still pretty raw. The outside was perfectly browned, but the inside was still really reddish. I smiled and he nervously laughed at me. It had been about 6 months since my mom passed away and I was pretty much cooking every day for Dad and myself so I told him I thought maybe he had the fire on too high, hence the reason why the outside was cooked before the insides. He brought it back to the kitchen and eventually we had our lunch. But we sure had a good laugh! :)

So that was probably 10 years ago and although we laugh about it now, I don't think MR has ever cooked fried fish for me ever since. And I thought he could make up for it now. I was craving for fried fish so I bought a beautiful Daurade, or Sea Bream. I read online that the Filipino / local name is Bakoko and it is related to the snapper (click here). I love fish fillets, which is what I always buy, because I find that I can keep it longer frozen, but a good whole fish is always much appreciated!

Sawsawan / Dipping Sauce : Filipino soy sauce and white vinegar. Only thing missing is Calamansi. Yum!

Lunch is served: Fried Daurade, Store-Bought Kimchi, and White Rice

Shopping for Asian Food at Ly Kim Thanh in Metz, France

2013-04-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

MR learned from his Thai classmates that there is a really nice and big Asian store in Metz. We do our Asian food shopping all the way in Luxembourg, so when I learned that there was something nice in Metz, I asked him to find out the address. When he told me the address, I kinda was hesitant as it was in a "rough" area of the city, but when we got there, it turns out it wasn't really bad. It is rather nice. It is located apart from the "rough" area, it stands alone, and has its own parking lot. It's true when they said it is big - it's practically a lil supermarket. With lots and lots of Asian products (too bad there's only one thing Filipino - Sinigang Powder Mix), I find it exciting. There's so much to explore and learn! And since I can't possibly buy the whole store at once, I thought I'd do a couple of items at a time.

Nouilles Mamy Pho / Mamy Noodle Pho - 0,55 Euros (very very spicy instant rice noodles)
Vermicelle Soja / Soy Vermicelli 500 grams - 1,59 Euros (it's the same as the one we used to buy in the Philippines)
Couenne Frite / Fried Pork Rind 50 grams - 1,09 Euros (very bland....)
Mochi Haricot Rouge / Red Bean Mochi- 2,69 Euros (we prefer the peanut ones)
Batonnets de Poisson / Crabstick - 0,95 Euros (not good at all!)
Chou Chinois Kim Chi / Kimchi- 4,45 Euros (so good, I will need to constantly stock up and I wanna try to make Kimchi Fried Rice)
Durian Congele / Frozen Durian- 4,99 Euros (the best news today, they have Durian!)
Galettes de Riz / Rice Wrapper - 1,65 Euros (Spring and Summer Roll galore!)

So here's the best thing - Frozen Durian!!!

It took me a while to open up to Durian. My mother was not a fan, so I never had any growing up. My in-laws, on the other hand, have a farm with lots of Durian, so every harvest season they had boxes and boxes of Durian to be given and consumed. My first time was uhm...interesting and I didn't really like it. I had decided that it just wasn't for me, but on one occasion, my husband's younger sister urged me to try it frozen. I loved it. Since then, I've tried it not frozen and I loved it too - I guess my taste buds have gotten used to it to the point where I eat more than I probably should!

This came from Thailand. I'm not being biased, but this wasn't as good as the ones from MR's family farm, but still it's good to know we can find frozen Durian here!

For contact details, please click here.

Pick-Up : Asian Food from Bamboo - Saveurs D'Asie in Metz, France

2013-04-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

With Dad at the hospital, we try to keep our lives as normal as possible. But once again, I am alone on Thursdays and Fridays. I drove MR to school again this morning, but I think that in a couple of weeks he will take our second car. We just bought another car, second-hand, which is smaller than our family car. At least we will each have a car to go to work and in case of emergencies. I still have to teach MR a little the road, especially driving in the city of Metz, but the route of our house to his school is pretty simple even if it is in the city. It will definitely help him gain confidence. So this morning, I drove SO to school for 8:30 AM and then MR for 9:00 AM. Since I was in the city, I thought I could stop at the phone store to finally get MR a simcard. I say finally because I wanted to get him one a couple of months ago, but for whatever reasons MR didn't want to get one at the time. Don't try to understand why - I stopped long ago! Anyways, I thought that it was finally time to get one now seeing as he is alone in the city twice a week now. If he ever needed to contact me or anyone else, then he could. On my way to the parking lot, I walked by Bamboo - Saveurs D'Asie, which I have already blogged about. Click here for the post. It isn't a restaurant, instead it is a little space right by the entrance / exit of the Gallerie Lafayette Commercial Center which sells Asian dishes for take-out. The dishes you buy are served cold for you to heat up or you can also ask them to heat them up for you before packing it. I remembered I was pleased the first time, so I thought I'd pick up something for lunch for SO and I.

Fried Pork Spring Roll (1,50 Euros / each) - mushy, bland, and eeeek! Pass! No more getting spring rolls from this place.

Chicken in a Sweet and Sour Sauce (11,00 Euros) - a serving for 2 was a little too much for SO and I, so we saved some for MR when he got home. The chicken was very tender. It was sweet, slightly sour, and we all enjoyed!

Sauteed Rice Noodle with Vegetables (2,93 Euros) - serving for 1 and we finished it all.

Thai Fried Rice (3,99 Euros)- spicy fried rice with egg strips, green peas, carrots, and small shrimps. Good!

Lunch is served: Fried Pork Spring Roll, Sauteed Rice Noodle with Vegetables, Chicken in a Sweet and Sour Sauce, and Thai Fried Rice.

Flunch in Sarrebourg, France

2013-04-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

SO is in the moyenne maternelle / nursery 2 section in school. A regular French school week is 4 days a week from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Wednesdays are no-school days and give a mid-week break to the kids. Personally, I wonder if it wouldn't be better if there was school on Wednesdays but shorter school hours per day. I see how SO is super duper tired when she comes home at 4:30 PM. Wouldn't it be better if they came home, say, at 3 PM instead? Anyways....Since today is a Wednesday and it is a no-school day, I thought we could go see Dad at the cardiac rehabilitation center. It really is beautiful in the center and we brought Dad outside to see the park. Dad used a wheelchair, but I'm hoping he will start walking on his own soon. It was a quick walk outside though, since there was a cold breeze. On the way home, MR wanted to see what stores were at the ZAC Sarrebourg. It was closed by the time we got there and the only thing open was the French restaurant, Flunch.

Flunch is the French answer to fast food. The concept is simple. On the photo above, you have your main dish choices. You choose one. The side dishes are served buffet-style and you eat as much as you want.

Here's the buffet table for the side dishes. Tonight, there was Ratatouille, Sauteed Vegetables, Couscous, White Rice, Mashed Potato, Sauteed Broccoli, Pasta, Baked Tomatoes and French Fries.

Avocat Chiffonade Surimi / Avocado and Crabstick - 2,60 Euros

I thought we could start with this entree. The crabstick and mayonnaise tasted kinda weird. Pass!

My dinner choice : Travers de Pork / Pork Ribs (8,45 Euros)

Worst choice ever!!! It was more bones than meat. It was way overcooked so the little meat there was was dry and hard as cement! Ugh! 8,45 Euros gone to waste. Even the side dishes could not make up for it!

My first plate of sidings: Ratatouille, Couscous, and Sauteed Vegetables

The Couscous was hard and obviously leftovers. The Ratatouille tasted like cheap canned ones. The Sauteed Vegetables was alright.

My second plate of sidings : Pasta with Gravy and Mashed Potato

The Pasta on its own was a disaster. I tried to save it with a bit of gravy - it did not work! The Mashed Potato was good. Creamy and well-seasoned.

MR's order : Tajine de Poulet / Chicken Tajine with Couscous (6,95 Euros)

I wish I had ordered this!!!!! Not that it was the best thing ever, but it was so much better than the piece of wood I ate! At least this was flavorful and cheaper than my order!

Coupe 2 Boules / 2 scoops Ice Cream (1,90 Euros)

Flunch- Le Plaisir. Intensement. / Flunch - Pleasure. Intensely.

Hmmmmm.....Really?...Really?!? Not by a long shot!

1 Avocat Chiffonade Surimi - 2,60 Euros
1 Tajine de Poulet - 6,95 Euros
1 Travers de Porc Sauce Barbecue - 8,45 Euros
1 Menu Enfant (Chicken Nuggets + Yogurt + Drinks) - 3,95 Euros
2 Softdrinks 40cl - 3,98 Euros
1 coupe 2 boules - 1,90 Euros

TOTAL : 27,83 Euros

For contact details, please click here.

Pan-Fried Salmon with a Tomato Cream Sauce

2013-04-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

I love love love salmon!!! Preferably raw, though. In buffets, I automatically go to the Sashimi / Sushi section or look for Smoked Salmon. I find that raw and cooked salmon are both distinctively different in flavor. I've never attempted to serve Sashimi at home, but when I buy a fillet to cook, I like to cook it halfway like I did today. It ends up not dry and oh-so enjoyable!

In a saucepan, add 200 ml of light cream, 4 tablespoons of creme fraiche, diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 diced shallots, and finely chopped fresh aneth / dill. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook, while stirring, until it is hot.

In a frying pan, add some oil. Fry the salmon skin-down first for 10 minutes. The skin should be brown and crispy and the meat halfway cooked. Flip over, fry for a minute, and turn off the heat. The fish is done.

Transfer the fish to a serving plate and the sauce in a bowl. Serve hot and enjoy!

Lunch is served : Pan-Fried Salmon with a Tomato Cream Sauce and Buttered Pasta

Easter Egg Salad Tartine

2013-04-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

So what do you make with Easter egg leftovers? You make Egg Salad Tartine, of course! :)

So here are the boiled eggs we decorated for Easter. I might be biased, but I find them pretty. Hihihi. But I couldn't let them go bad or throw them away (it is food, after-all).

So I peeled the boiled eggs, cut them in half, and transferred the egg yolk in a bowl. With a fork, I mashed the egg yolk.

I also added a couple tablespoons of mayonnaise and mixed.

I, then, diced finely the egg whites and added them to the egg yolks. Mix together. Add more mayonnaise if desired.

I had some fresh Aneth / Dill herb on-hand, which I finely chopped. Add to the egg mixture.If you don't have fresh Aneth / Dill, you may omit this step, but I thought the flavors went well together.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Spread on a toasted bread. Enjoy!

And you can also add a little color and flavors, if you wanna play with your food. :)

Dinner is served: Easter Egg Salad Tartines

Happy Easter 2013!!!

2013-03-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

For God so loved you that He gave his only Son, that if you believe in Him you shall not perish but have eternal life. -Unknown

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Here are the 3 eggs we decorated on the eve of Easter:
First = SO's
Second= MR's
Third= Yours truly

Which one do you like best? :)

We placed the decorated eggs in the Easter basket SO made in school and left it on the coffee table for the Easter bunny to see it.

SO likes to wake up super early every morning, including weekends and holidays (ugh!). I don't know why I thought today would be different. I found myself at 6 AM, in pajamas and a coat, hiding chocolates all over our garden. I say hiding loosely as I was freezing and just basically threw the chocolates all over.

SO and chocolate and egg hunting.

.....which turned out quite successful! :)

But SO will not be eating all of this on her own. DO invited us to have Easter lunch with them. They are celebrating my niece, MO, turning 20 years old and I thought we could bring them some of these chocolates. For MO, I bought her some beautiful classic Swarovski earrings which I know she will love.

Easter lunch was a feast. We ate Perigourdine Salad, Roasted Quail, Vegetables, Assorted Cheese, and Cakes. It was wonderful! We were about 15 guests, so the room was buzzing with conversations and catching up. And the wonderful guests brought even more chocolate as gifts for SO! Being a huge chocolate fan, SO has proclaimed Easter to be her favorite holiday from now on! :)

Chicken Ratatouille

2013-03-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

Chicken Ratatouille. I came up with this recipe at a time when I needed something quick and simple to make. We were out grocery shopping and would only be home close to noon. With SO in tow, lunch has to be between 12-12:30 PM or she starts complaining of hunger. LOL. I mentally came up with ideas about what I could possibly make. I stopped in front of the aisle of canned products and saw the words, "Ratatouille". "Now, I could heat this up with some sort of meat, " I told myself. I had my choice - beef, pork, but finally settled with chicken. This is how this recipe came to be. My quick fix which has become a family favorite!

Slice the chicken breast fillet to bite sizes. In a pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Saute diced garlic and chicken until the chicken changes color.

The can of Confit de Ratatouille. You can use homemade Ratatouille, but that will obviously take longer to make this recipe, unless it is leftovers.

In the pan, add the can of vegetables and a roughly chopped white onion.

I also prepared Couscous as accompaniment.

Lunch is served: Chicken Ratatouille and Couscous

L'Etoile de Chine in Jouy-aux-Arches, France

2013-03-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

The original plan was for us to visit Dad at the cardiac rehabilitation center tomorrow (Saturday) since we couldn't go on Sunday. I thought I would give today for Dad to settle in his new room and get to know people. But he called and begged that we come today. I wasn't too pleased since I had the week all planned out and today was already meant for something else. I had to remind Dad that the cardiac rehabilitation center is 100 kilometers away and going there every day like I did in the hospital was not possible. I don't have the time and the budget. And if we ever went, we would go preferably right after lunch and spend the whole afternoon there. This was also a reason why I wasn't so pleased to go today because it meant that we could only stay 1 or 2 hours, unlike tomorrow where we could stay the whole afternoon. But Dad insisted and so off we went. The cardiac center is in the middle of a beautiful landscape. I just love the setting and will definitely dedicate a post for it.

We had to leave Dad when his dinner was served. He is in a double room, but staying alone for the meantime. His roommate was brought to the hospital and will return. Dad is hoping he will have an individual room soon. He really wants to be alone. So we left him at 6 PM and since it takes about an hour and a half to go home, at 7:30 PM we were still in the car. SO was starting to complain of a tummy ache and I had no time to prepare something nice for dinner. I made a quick right turn to the highway and told MR and SO we were eating out tonight. Direction ZAC Actisud and from there we would see what are options were. I initially thought of the Indian restaurant there, but we got lost in the turns and circles of the zone and landed right in front of a Chinese restaurant. L'Etoile de Chine. Nothing could have spelled perfection better than this.

Buffet a Volonte / Eat-All-You-Can Buffet
Midi / Lunch - 11,00 Euros
Soir / Dinner - 16,50 Euros
Grillade Mongole / Mongolian Grill (only for dinner) - 19,50 Euros
Enfant / Children - 10 years > 8,00 Euros
-3 years > free

Complimentary treats: Shrimp Crackers

First Plate: Salmon Maki, Salmon Sushi, Avocado and Salmon Maki, Fresh Spring Roll, Fried Pork Spring Roll, Fried Shrimp Spring Roll, Crabstick, Corn, Fried Chicken, Fried Shrimp.

I loved the Fried Pork Spring Roll and Fried Shrimp!

Second Plate: Fried Rice, Fried Pork Spring Roll, Fried Chicken Slice, Steamed Pork Siomai, Steamed Shrimp Siomai, Steamed Hakao, Chinese Duck, and Chicken Curry.

Loved: Fried Pork Spring Roll, Fried Chicken Slice (so tender), and Steamed Pork Siomai.
Hated: Fried Rice - one of the worst!

I love love love this sauce! This was served with the Fried Chicken Slices. I don't know what kind of sauce this was, but we loved it and used it with pretty much anything fried. It was thicker than soy sauce and slightly sweet, slightly spicy.

Third Plate: Salmon and Avocado Maki and Fried Pork Spring Roll with Lettuce and Nuoc Mam Sauce.

The dessert table had Perle de Coco / Glutinous Rice Ball , Ginger Confit, and Chinese Nougat, but I had no stomach space for anything but ice cream.

Dessert : Strawberry Ice Cream and Canned Fruits.

*Service was alright. It's fast and efficient, but could use some more tips in the friendly department. MR was not comfortable at all with the staring. In France, restaurants are obliged to provide a pitcher of free water when asked. I'm not sure if this establishment gives out free water pitcher. I will confirm at the next visit. Based solely on the food, MR and I agree that the place is good and we will return for our regular Chinese food fix. If compared to Le Nouveau Siecle, my fave Chinese buffet restaurant in Nancy, France, I think I prefer the one in Nancy (click here, here, and here), while MR favors this one.

For contact details, please click here.

Hit That Replay Button: Try (Cover) by Jayesslee

2013-03-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Video taken from: http://youtu.be/4SnFcAaIAvs

I didn't pay attention to this song until I heard this cover (original by Pink) by the YouTube duo sensation, Jayesslee. This one goes out to all want to give up. Don't. I always tell myself, if you're down and at the bottom, there is only one way to go - up!

LYRICS

Ever wonder about what he's doing
How it all turned to lies
Sometimes I think that it's better to never ask why

Where there is desire
There is gonna be a flame
Where there is a flame
Someone's bound to get burned
But just because it burns
Doesn't mean you're gonna die
You gotta get up and try and try and try
You gotta get up and try and try and try
You gotta get up and try and try and try

Funny how the heart can be deceiving
More than just a couple times
Why do we fall in love so easy
Even when it's not right

Where there is desire
There is gonna be a flame
Where there is a flame
Someone's bound to get burned
But just because it burns
Doesn't mean you're gonna die
You gotta get up and try and try and try
You gotta get up and try and try and try
You gotta get up and try and try and try

Ever worried that it might be ruined
And does it make you wanna cry?
When you're out there doing what you're doing
Are you just getting by?
Tell me are you just getting by by by

Where there is desire
There is gonna be a flame
Where there is a flame
Someone's bound to get burned
But just because it burns
Doesn't mean you're gonna die
You gotta get up and try and try and try
You gotta get up and try and try and try
You gotta get up and try and try and try
You gotta get up and try and try and try
You gotta get up and try and try and try